Nation
THE STATES
Bauchi
Director-General of National Orientation Agency (NOA), Dr Garba Abari, on Monday in Bauchi called for synergy between his agency and the media in tackling some of the security challenges of the country.
Making the call when he visited the Bauchi Zonal Office of the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), Abari said joint effort in sensitizing members on the need to shun acts that could jeopardize the unity and peaceful coexistence of Nigerians, was desirable now, than ever before.
According to him, the roles of the media have gone beyond the traditional “education, entertainment and enlightenment”, but have encompassed a greater challenge of “agenda setting” for the people.
He said that security challenges resulting from disagreements among people on issues that could otherwise be peacefully resolved, to other wider security issues, had made it paramount to intensify sensitization efforts, not only for people to embrace dialogue, but also become security conscious.
“Such discharge of social responsibility calls for synergy between NOA and the media, in view of the fact that our goals are similar.
Borno
Borno State Government on Thursday said it had constructed 1,760 boreholes for Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) to participate in dry season farming in three Local Government Areas.
Director, Engineering Infrastructural Services, Borno Agricultural Development Programme (BOSADP), Mr Abdull Ahmad, said this in an interview with newsmen in Maiduguri.
Ahmad said the affected persons were located in Konduga, Jere and Damboa Local Government Area.
He said the state government, National Programme for Food Security (NPFS), FADAMA three and the Food and Agricultural Organisation (FAO) would jointly sponsor the programme.
He said about N24.3 million had been spent on the programme, adding the amount was expected to cover 70 per cent of the project in the areas.
FCT
The office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA) on Tuesday said it was partnering with the Nigeria Stability and Reconciliation Programme (NSRP) to prevent and counter violent extremism in the country.
The Coordinator, Counter Terrorism Centre (CTC) of ONSA, Commodore Yem Musa, said this while presenting a paper during validation meeting with the members of the two organisations and conveying the message of the NSA to the members
Musa said that the message was on the Policy Framework and National Action Plan for Preventing and Countering Violent Extremism in the country.
He said that in August 2016, the working group of the organisation served as a broad-based consultative and multi-stakeholders platform for countering violent extremism in the country.
Kaduna
The Chairman, Committee on Information, Kaduna State House of Assembly, Mr Nuhu Shadalafiya, said the Committees would soon start their oversight functions.
Shadalafiya said this on Tuesday in an interview with newsmen shortly after the Plenary.
The legislator was responding to a petition written to the house by some indigenes of the state over the non- chalant attitude of some companies in their area, especially on Corporate Social Responsibility.
He said the house had received complaints through their members.
“I believe in no distant time, the committees that are relevant to the organisations would begin to go for oversight functions to check the environment.
“See if the environment are friendly and if the products coming out are consumable,’’ Shadalafiya said.
Kwara
The Chairman , Kwara State branch of Community Pharmacists of Nigeria Mr. Babatunde Samuel has cautioned Nigerians against over consumption of junk foods and sedentary lifestyle to reduce the risk of chronic kidney disease.
Samuel gave the warning in an interview with newsmen in Ilorin on Wednesday.
The pharmacist said that people who were overweight had a chance of developing end stage renal disease compared to those of normal weights.
He recommended routine urine and blood tests for people to know the medical status of their kidney before it reached advanced stage.
Lagos
The Lagos State Commissioner of Police, Mr Fatai Owoseni, on Tuesday urged parents, teachers and the state schools management board to properly monitor children and students in their care.
Owoseni made the plea while briefing newsmen on the arrest of some suspected criminals including 10 secondary school boys aged between 11 and 16 years in Lagos.
“We appeal to parents and teachers in both Secondary and Primary Schools to improve on the monitoring of their children and students in their custody.
“ It gives us concern, as law enforcement agents that schools and homes are no longer doing their duties, but encouraging criminality.
“It is recurring that those we classified as children are taking to criminality,’’ the Commissioner of Police said.
He said that the underage suspects were caught in possession of cutlasses, axes and other dangerous tools.
Owoseni said that the students, during interrogation, claimed they armed themselves because of a conflict between students of two schools in Apapa area.
He said that the students would not be paraded because of their age.
Nasarawa
The Nasarawa State Government in collaboration with the World Bank on Wednesday, donated 19 vehicles and 63 motorcycles to the health sector to boost service delivery in the state.
The state Deputy Governor, Mr Silas Agara, while presenting the vehicles to the beneficiaries in Lafia, said the effort was also to facilitate proper supervision for effective healthcare service delivery to the people.
“The quality of primary health service delivery depends largely on the strength of supervision.
“It is in view of this that the state government, in collaboration with the World Bank, supported the procurement of 18 Toyota Hilux vans, One Toyota Hiace bus and 63 motorcycles.
‘’The efforts is through the Nigeria State Health Investment Project (NSHIP) in the state.
“The 13 Local Government Primary Healthcare (PHC) departments will get a van each, three for Nasarawa State Primary Healthcare Development Agency (NSPHCDA), while the state Hospital Management Board will get two vans and a bus,’’ Agara said.
Niger
The Niger State Police Command says it has charged two suspects at a Minna Magistrates’ Court with the killing of a Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP), Aaron Sunday, serving with Kpakungu Division Minna, by suspected hoodlums.
Mr Zubairu Muazu, Commissioner of Police, disclosed this to the newsmen in Minna on Tuesday.
He said that 14 others were also charged with causing civil disturbances during the incident that led to death of the police officer.
He explained that the command would ensure diligent prosecution of all those allegedly involved in the deadly act.
He said that already, the command had evolved aggressive intelligence gathering to strengthen security in the state .
“ We have deployed armed police operatives in and outside the metropolis for the arrest and prosecution of men of underworld .”
He explained that the command had identified some criminal hideout across the state.
Ondo
Governor Rotimi Akeredolu of Ondo State has promised an effective women participation in his government that will supersede the United Nations 35 per cent affirmative action.
Akeredolu said this on Wednesday at the 2017 International Women’s Day celebration with the theme: ‘Women, Be Bold for Change’.
The governor said that day was a time to celebrate the socio-economic and political achievements of women across the globe.
He pledged to involve more women in his administration as well as support their programmes.
“We will take deliberate steps to engender more participation of women in our leadership system.
“We will also take deliberate steps to encourage and increase women programmes in key areas in our administration, especially, in health and agriculture.
Osun
Gov. Rauf Aregbesola of Osun State last Thursday said the death of retired Gen. Adeyinka Adebayo, the former Military Governor of defunct Western Region, had robbed Nigeria, especially Yoruba race, of a patriotic elder statesman.
Aregbesola, who made this known in a condolence message by his media aide, Mr Semiu Okanlawon, in Osogbo! said he joined other well-meaning Nigerians in commiserating with the family of the deceased who was the President of the socio-political group, Yoruba Council of Elders (YCE).
“General Adeyinka Adebayo served his fatherland well. He was a fine officer of the Nigerian Army and did his best in all the capacities where he served.
“The history of our country is incomplete without mention of this fine officer.”
Recalling Adebayo’s interests in the growth and the development of the Yoruba race, Aregbesola, said the former President of the YCE stopped at nothing to ensure the unity and progress of the Yoruba people.
Oyo
The National Coordinator, Campus Cult Eradication Foundation (CCEF), Mr Samuel Ejembi, says 248 persons are ready to renounce their membership of various campus cult groups in various tertiary institutions in Oyo State.
Ejembi disclosed this on Thursday at a stakeholders’ meeting with Chief Security Officers (CSOs) and Deans of Students Affairs of all the tertiary institutions in the state, held at the Oyo State Police Command headquarters, Eleyele, Ibadan.
CCEF is a non-governmental organisation working in conjunction with the Office of Inspector-General of Police (I-GP) to curb the menace of cultism in tertiary institutions in the country.
Ejembi noted that 115 among the 248 persons that want to renounce campus cultism are not students, while the remaining 133 comprises both male and female students.
Plateau
The Plateau Commissioner of Women Affairs, Mrs Rufina Gurumyen, has challenged women to step up and improve their productive worth in the society.
Gurumyen said this at the celebration of the International Women’s Day organised by the Association of Women in Colleges of Education (WICE), North Central Zone.
She described women as mentors, role models, icon of peace and symbols of integrity in the society.
The Chairman of Malumfashi Local Government Council of Katsina State, Maharazu Dayi, has been impeached.
Maharazu Dayi was impeached yesterday by 11 out of 12 councillors, barely two days before the local government elections in the State.
The councillors reportedly took action following allegations of misconduct and poor governance against the chairman after a dispute over the distribution of the council’s Paris Club funds.
The development has sent shock waves across the local government area, especially as the impeached chairman is among those who failed to secure the ticket of the All Progressives Congress (APC) to contest in the forthcoming election.
The Rumuwoji Ultra Modern Market Traders Association, Mile 1, Port Harcourt, has urged the state government to utilise the available spaces within the area to build phase 3 of the Rumuwoji Market in order to solve the ever increasing needs of traders.
The association, which said this at a media briefing in Port Harcourt, also described as a welcomed development the decision by the state Governor to open the phase 2 of the market for business.
According to the association, “We consider it as an answer to the various cries of the people, because he is a man on a mission who is out to place the interest of Rivers people first. It is a dream come true for the first time for the market to be dully allocated and open for business”
Chairman of the association, Hon Godspower Wobo, who briefed the press shortly after a meeting of the association in Port Harcourt, also urged the public to disregard the activities of some persons whose stock in trade is to cause disaffection in the market.
He said the attention of the association was drawn to the activities of some strange fellows who went about misforming the people about situation in the market, stressing that apart from his association, no other group exists in the market except subdiary unions.
Wobo also tasked the reallocation committee to tread with caution so as to avoid being deceived by any group.
According to him, time has come for the state government to engage in robust discussion with aggrieved shop owners who went to court and those who paid monies to the state coffers and issued with allocation certificates for the overall interest of peace.
He also advised the public to deal directly with his association, stressing that the meeting was to review activities for the last year as well as unveil their new Constitution.
Also speaking, former Chairman of the association, Deacon Kenneth Eze urged the Rivers State Governor, Sir Siminalayi Fubara to open the phase 2 of the market, as it is long overdue.
Eze who is the Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the association also urged the public to do business with only the Rumuwoji Ultra Modern Market Traders Association as it is the only union recognised by the traders.
The President of the African Development Bank (AfDB), Akinwunmi Adesina, has debunked reports linking him with the race for Nigeria’s presidency in 2027.
Reacting to the report on his X handle yesterday, following a recent interview with Arise TV, the AfDB boss said his quotes were misrepresented and misinterpreted in several Nigerian media reports.
However, the AfDB president denied the media reports, stating that he never said that he wanted to contest for President.
“A segment of my recent interview on @Arise TV has been both misinterpreted and misrepresented in several Nigerian media outlets. What I said was, “I will be available to serve in any capacity, globally, in Africa, anywhere, including my own country.”
“A listen to the substantive and robust interview, which is available online, will show this to be the case. For clarity and for the record, I did not say that I am running for the office of President of Nigeria,” Adesina said.